focus - cabarrus county schools...the maurya empire •india was hard to unite because of diverse...
TRANSCRIPT
• Focus– The Mauryas and Guptas created powerful empires that united most of India. After their rise and height, common factors contributed to their fall.
The Maurya Empire
• India was hard to unite because of diverse geography
• May rival kingdoms existed across the northern plains
• Chandragupta Maurya– Used his army to conquer northern India
– United N. India under his rule• Maurya Empire
•
Maurya Empire
• Had a well-organized government– Strong central government– Collected taxes– Built roads and harbors to increase trade
• Chandragupta crushed any opposition to his rule– Feared assassination by his enemies– Secret police to report on dissention in his empire
Maurya Empire
• Ashoka (asoka)– Grandson of Chandragupta– Becomes emperor– Converts to Buddhism
after bloody battle to conquer the Deccan Plateau• Horrified by the brutality
of war• Stops attempts to expand
the empire
Maurya Empire• Asoka’s rule
– Rejects violence– Sets up pillars inscribed
with the empire’s laws• Influenced by Buddhist
teaching
– Tolerant of other beliefs– Built Buddhist Stupas– Sent Buddhist missionaries
out to spread faith• Effects
– India was united– Peace and prosperity– Spread of Buddhism
He was a strong leader and ran the empire well
Maurya Decline• Leadership issues: Empire began
to decline after the death of Asoka. His sons and grandsons that ruled after him were weaker leaders and could not hold the empire together.
• Empire divided into separate kingdoms.
• It was too large and could not remain functioning under the rule of a weak king. If the king was good, the empire was successful.
Other Causes for the Decline of the Mauryan Empire
• Economic issues:– crisis follows death of Ashoka
– High costs of bureaucracy, not enough tax money to pay the military
– Frequent devaluations of currency to pay salaries (inflation, money not worth as much)
– Rulers after Asoka charged heavy taxes and seized large portions of crops grown by peasants
Maurya Decline• Military issues:
– The north west frontier of India was always exposed.
– This left their empire vulnerable to foreign invaders.
Maurya Decline• Social issues:
– Internal revolt- led by the chief of the Maurya army, General Pushyamitra in 185 BC. This general held a parade of the army and then killed the king on the spot with his army’s support.
Gupta Empire
• Gupta dynasty begins in 320 AD
• United the subcontinent under their rule
• Strong central government – Allowed for local governments
to have power• local leaders to be elected by
merchants and artisans• Villages were led by headman
and councils
• Promoted Hindu concepts but were tolerant of other beliefs
• Peace and prosperity led to India’s Golden Age
•
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Gupta Advances
• Astronomy– Identified planets– Earth’s revolution– Circumference of the Earth
• Math– Concept of zero– The decimal system
• Medicine– Vaccinations against small pox– Surgeons set broken bones and performed basic
plastic surgery – C-sections
Gupta Advances
• Extensive trade networks
Gupta Advances
• Arts– Literature and poetry– Use of Sanskrit to
write stories– Buddhist cave paintings
at Ajanta
• Architecture– Built large Hindu
temples– Buddhist stuppas
• Influenced construction of pagodas in China
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Gupta Decline
• Empire lasted for 200 years
• Reasons for decline
– Invasions by Nomadic Huns from central Asia
– Weak rulers
Turmoil & a Power Vacuum:220 BCE – 320 CE
The Maurya Empire is divided into many kingdoms.
The Gupta Dynasty
• Based in Magadha
• Founded by Chandra Gupta (no relation to Chandragupta Maurya), c. 320 CE
• Slightly smaller than Mauryan Empire
• Highly decentralized leadership
• Foundations for studies in natural sciences and mathematics
Medicine Literature
MathematicsAstronomy
Printedmedicinal guides
1000 diseasesclassified
PlasticSurgery
C-sectionsperformed
Inoculations
500 healingplants identified
DecimalSystem
Conceptof Zero
PI = 3.1416
Kalidasa
SolarCalendar
The earthis round
GuptaIndia
Gupta Achievements
Gupta Decline
• Frequent invasions of White Huns, 5th c. CE
• Gupta Dynasty disintegrates along regional fault lines
• Smaller local kingdoms dominate until Mughal Empire founded in 16th c.
Closure
• How did the Gupta rule their empire?
• Why was the period of Gupta rule known as the golden age of India?
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